Agathis silbae
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Agathis silbae is a species ofthe Araucaria family (Araucariaceae). It is endemic to Vanuatu .
description
Agathis silbae grows as an evergreen tree that can reach heights of growth of 35 to 60 meters and diameters of up to two meters at chest height . The trunk is mostly unbranched up to a height of about 10 meters and merges into a wide crown , which consists of long, straight or upwardly directed branches. The smooth or scaly bark flakes off and is initially gray, in older trees it is white. The inner bark is red to pink in color and secretes a white resin , which later turns light yellow.
The thick, leathery, light green leaves are almost opposite to one another on the branches. The leaves of young trees or trees that grow in shady locations are lancet-shaped with a length of 5 to 12 centimeters and a width of 2 to 5 centimeters and have a pointed to blunt tip. Older trees have lanceolate leaves with blunt or pointed tips that are 4 to 8 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide.
Agathis silbae is single-sexed ( monoecious ) and the flowering time is not known, but may take place several times a year. The axillary male cones are colored reddish brown. They stand on a 0.4 to 0.6 centimeter long stem and are elongated-cylindrical in shape with a length of 3.7 to 5.5 centimeters and a thickness of 1.5 to 1.8 centimeters. The spherical female cones have a thick, 0.6 to 0.9 centimeter long stem, are 10 to 12 centimeters thick and stand individually on the branches. They are initially green and often resinous. However, they turn brown towards maturity. The cones consist of triangular cone scales which are around 3.5 centimeters long and between 4 and 5 centimeters wide. The seeds have two wings of different sizes and are elongated-egg-shaped with a length of 1.2 to 1.5 centimeters and a width of 0.7 to 0.8 centimeters. The larger of the two seed wings is between 2 and 2.5 centimeters long and between 1.3 and 1.7 centimeters wide, while the smaller one reaches a width of 0.4 to 0.6 centimeters.
Occurrence and endangerment
The natural range of Agathis silbae is on the Vanuatu island Espiritu Santo . There it covers four areas in the western part of the island and extends from the Cumberland Peninsula in the north to Mount Tabwemasana in the south.
Agathis silbae thrives at altitudes of 450 to 760 meters. It grows on the west and northwest side of ridges in tropical rainforests. The annual rainfall in the distribution area is around 4500 mm. There are shelves populated, which on basalt were formed. The species is associated with Calophyllum neo-ebudicum , Cryptocarya turbinata , Dysoxylum species, Myristica fatua and various stone slices ( Podocarpus ).
Agathis silbae is classified as "low endangered" in the IUCN Red List . Targeted beating of this type is named as the main reason for danger, but this has hardly taken place since 1997 due to disputes over property and profit sharing. In addition, the known stocks are located in areas that are difficult to reach.
Systematics
It was first described as Agathis silbae in 1987 by David John de Laubenfels in Phytologia , Volume 61, Number 7, Page 448.
use
The wood of Agathis silbae resembles that of other Kauri trees in terms of its appearance and properties . The resin was previously used as fuel and to seal canoes . The soot that remained when the resin was burned was used as a dye for the local people's tattoos. Medicine was extracted from the tree bark and the root tips were used as food for small children.
swell
- Christopher J. Earle: Agathis silbae. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, December 5, 2014, accessed April 3, 2015 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Christopher J. Earle: Agathis silbae. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, December 5, 2014, accessed April 3, 2015 .
- ↑ a b c d Agathis silbae in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2014. Posted by: P. Thomas, 2012. Accessed April 3, 2015.
- ↑ Agathis silbae at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, accessed April 3, 2015.